Shelley College: Business

Head of Department: Mrs J Hampson

Business Studies is a relevant and wide-ranging subject, which offers an insight into the theory of organizations, whilst broadening your knowledge and understanding of the world outside of education.

At Shelley College students have a choice of both vocational and more traditional academic pathways of study, which will allow you to understand how businesses function in the contemporary world.

Business Studies is clearly an extremely useful springboard for careers in a variety of fields including Accountancy, Law, Management, Human Resource Management, Production, Marketing and many other highly-regarded professions.

Qualifications in Business Studies can also lead to further study in a variety of subjects such as Business Studies, Economics, Law Entrepreneurship, Management, Retailing, and many other courses. During your course of study you will develop skills, which will help you in other areas: researching, report writing, problem-solving, presentation, decision-making to name but a few.

COURSES OFFERED:
KS5 The results in the business education department have been amongst the most consistently successful within the college. In 2009 61% of AS students gained a grade A or B and 83% of A2 students gained a grade A or B, with 50% of students gaining an A grade.

AS/A2 BUSINESS STUDIES
Exam Board: AQA
Course Content:
The AS level has 2 written exams: Unit 1 is a 1hr 15 minute exam involving short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study. Unit 2 is a 1hr 30 minute exam involving multi-part data response questions.

At A level 2 exams will be taken: Unit 3 is a 1hr 45 minute exam based on an unseen case study which builds on knowledge from the AS units. Unit 4 is a 1 hour 45 minute exam including a pre-release research exercise and a choice of essays.

The course covers the following business concepts:
Unit 1: Planning and Financing a Business, Starting a new business/ business planning and Financial planning and accounting

Find out how new firms are set up and run. Discover how entrepreneurs develop their business plans and raise the finance to set up their business. Understand how and why firms use market research to develop a new products, how firms use market segmentation to sell more and how new product ideas are launched and protected. Investigate how financial decisions are made, how revenues, profits and cash flow are calculated and why some entrepreneurs gain investment on “Dragons’ Den!!

Unit 2 Managing a Business
Finance: budgets, cash flow and profits
People: organisational design, recruitment. Selection, training, motivation
Operations management: quality, customer service, suppliers, technology
Marketing and Competition: the marketing mix, market conditions and competitiveness
Investigate further the financial management of businesses: Find out what motivates people to work, what pay systems firms use to reward workers, how firms recruit and train employees. Discover how firms ensure we buy quality products using the latest technology. Study further how businesses meet customer needs through marketing and good customer service.

Unit 3 Strategies for Success
Financial Strategies and Accounts: financial information, measuring performance, investment decisions
Marketing Strategies:analysing markets, marketing plans
Operations Strategies:innovation, location, operational efficiency
Human Resource Strategies: workforce planning, employee relations, organisational structures

An in-depth study of the main business functions of Finance, Marketing, Operations Management and Human Resources from a strategic perspective.

Unit 4 The Business Environment and managing Change
Draws on knowledge from all units, a synoptic unit which draws on knowledge from all other units and links the actions of a business to the external environment. This unit develops your skills for university and employment.

Entry Qualifications:
Students need not have studied GCSE Business Studies but ideally should have gained a grade C in English Language and Maths

AS/A2 APPLIED BUSINESS
How is this course different from Business Studies A level?
67% of this course is assessed by COURSEWORK. You can submit work and amend it on advice from your tutor!! You will be investigating and working with REAL business situations rather than studying the theory and your course will still cover the main business functions and will qualify for UCAS points.

What sort of person is this course suitable for?
You will enjoy this course if you would like to:

Develop an understanding of how business works in the real world.
Discover the problems and opportunities faced by local, national and international businesses.
Have an opportunity to organise an enterprise activity.
Learn about how business functions such as marketing, finance, human and physical Resources work together as part of a whole business.
Take part in practical activities such as planning and running a business or designing a marketing plan.

What will I learn about on this course?
The AS units focus on investigation, you will learn about:
Unit 1: Investigating People at Work: how staff are recruited, trained and motivated.
Unit 2: Investigating Business: write a business plan for a new business you are setting up.
Unit 3: Investigating Marketing: develop and launch a marketing campaign for a new product.

The A2 units focus on decision making and the impact of decisions on business. You will learn about:
Unit 8: Business Development: further investigation of business planning
Unit 9: Managing and Developing People: further consideration of the role of people and creating your own personal development plan for the future

Again, the results on this course have been excellent, and in the top 25% of schools nationally at both AS and A2 level. In 2009 50% of A2 students gained an A or B grade

KS4 Courses offered:
GCSE Business Studies (single award)
Exam Board: OCR

Course content
Unit 1 Marketing and Enterprise: how businesses sell their products: market research and data collection, the marketing mix running a franchise, e-commerce, customer service. Setting up and running a business: business plans and entrepreneurship.
Unit 2 Business and People: the need for businesses, how businesses are structured, social enterprise, the stock market and share ownership, how workers are recruited and organised: ownership, growth, location, recruitment, selection, training, motivation, communication.
Unit 3 Production, Finance and the External Business Environment: how businesses produce goods, manage money and how they are affected by the world around them: production methods, quality issues, sources of finance, financial accounting, competition, business ethics, the government, globalisation.

How is the course assessed?
There are 3 components:
Controlled assessment: 25% of final grade. Marketing and Enterprise. Students carry out research and produce a report under controlled conditions.
Exam 1: 25% of final grade—Business and People.
Exam 2: 50% of final grade—Production, Finance and the External Business Environment -exam based on a pre-released case study on a business.

You can re-sit each unit once improve your grade.

Making it real……
Learn how real businesses work…
In 2009, Y11 Business Studies students visited Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd in Wakefield. They saw how computers are used in production, how quality is controlled, how workers are recruited and motivated.

Btec First Certificate in Business
The Btec first certificate offers an alternative, vocational pathway for those students who prefer coursework to exams. The course will result in 2 GCSE‘s at grades A*-C, and therefore takes options on the timetable.

Course content:
Unit 1 Exploring Business Purposes: this unit introduces you to the different types of business ownership, and their purpose and activities. You will understand the main business aims and objectives and trends in UK business activity over recent years. You will also learn about the main departments of a larger business, including a visit to a real business to support your understanding.
Unit 2 Developing Customer Relations: this unit provides an introduction to the importance of customer service to business organisations. You will undertake practical assessments by demonstrating your own interpersonal and communication skills. You will understand why customer service is important to business and how businesses monitor customer satisfaction.
Unit 3 Investigating Financial Control: this unit will introduce you to costs, revenues and profits, break-even analysis and cash flow forecasting. You will understand how businesses record financial transactions and how they prevent fraud.

How will I be assessed?
This course is assessed 100% by coursework portfolio. There are NO exams!!